The Wish Box

1. The wind blew through his hair, it was dark brown but the gray that had been slowly creeping in had taken a strong hold now. Salt and pepper, He had heard it was called. He liked and so did many others, including his late wife. Like many widowers Jake Somers had a aura of sadness that seemed to penetrate every situation. Most people avoided talking to him and even when they did they were very reserved in what they said. Even his wife’s family had avoided him when ever they could. Veronica Somers had been what most would call a traditional beauty. She was tall with long curling blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Many of her closest friends would say that she seemed to always have a smile on her face. Of course this was before she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She wasn’t smiling much at all for the last few months as she was either in unbearable agony or too high from the pain meds which kept her sleeping most of her time left. She ate healthy and exercised everyday and it didn’t prevent her from getting sick. They had found out about the cancer after she doubled over in pain at the gym. It was an aggressive form of cancer and within 6 months of diagnosis she had passed away during one of the times she was sleeping, she died on a late Thursday afternoon. 2. He sat there of the booth rocks as the seas crashed around him and the wind blew his salt and pepper hair, the hair she liked, around. It was going to be a hot day, he could tell that, but right here early in the morning it was cool. The sun had just rose above the horizon and had yet to turn on the heater that would soon boil the seashore. Down the way the beach would fill up as tourist and beach goers flooded the sands hoping the salty water would cool them and protect them from the heat. The rock on which he sat would become so hot no one would be able to touch them without risking burn, until at least an hour after the sun went down and the heater was turned off. He sat there thinking about her, about his like. They had never had kids, he didn’t want them. She did but not badly enough to fight him for it. They had discussed it and decided it would be best for them to not have kids, now he wished they had chosen different. He wished a all part of her remained. A tear began to slowly stream down his face before he wiped it away. He stood up, looked out across the ocean and heading for the set of wooden stairs that would lead to his house just as the first of the beach people started to arrive. He had moved here shortly after she had died. This had been there dream, a home on a North Carolina beach. He moved here partly to run away from her ghost, but to a place he could still think of her, see her. Back in Ohio he saw here everywhere he went and it haunted him. Even though she had never been to this house or this beach, she was with still. The part of her he brought with him went everywhere he went, but here her memory didn’t overwhelm him. Here he could sit on the rocks, think of her, remember her. 3. “Hello there.” A thin wispy voice said as he reached the top of the small wooden stairs. The voice had seemingly come out of nowhere, but there to his left stood a tale pale man. The thing that stuck out to him wasn’t his height, he had to be at least 6’8 Jake thought, nor his pale skin, but how he was dressed. He wore black pants, a black vest with a black jacket, a white shirt with a black string tie tied in a bow. But the most peculiar thing was he wore a top hat. Jake was so taken by the top hat that he didn’t notice the round sunglasses. Jake thought the guy was dressed like a country lawyer or doctor from the 1800’s. “I said Hello there.” Jake blinked his eyes as if he was just waking up, and in a way he was. “uh Hi.” Jake said and before he could say something like I’m not buying anything or just walk away the man continued. “I have something you might be interested in.” the man said, “before you say anything let me tell you I don’t want anything for it.” Jake looked at him suspiciously wondering what kind of game he was playing, but before Jake could say a word the man spoke again. “I understand the skepticism you may be feeling right now, but I assure you. I want nothing, no form of payment. I just want to help you Mr. Somers.” Mr. Somers. How did he know my name, did I tell him, when? I have barely uttered a single word. Jake thought. The man them reached inside his black jacket, This guy I’d going to kill me. He is reaching for his a gun and he is going to shoot me dead. If your truly here to help them don’t miss, Jake thought. Then the man pulled out a tiny wooden box. The hinges and clasp were rusty from decades of decay and the box itself was faded and cracked, but it had a strange energy to it. Jake wanted it badly. “This Mr. Somers is called a wishing box.” The man said. Jake trying to sound uninterested said, “it just looks like a broken wooden box. “Indeed... Butt it is far from broken, I can assure you.” The tall man said. “Well what does it do?” Jake Somers asked. “It grants wishes Mr. Somers.” The tall man said. “How?” Jake asked, almost sounding like he was 8 years old. “No one truly knows how magic works, why would anyone care as long as it does.” The tall man asked. Jake nodded his head and again asked how it worked. “Yes, I see. Well, you write your wish on a piece of paper and place it in the box just before you go to bed. And when you awake your wish will have been granted.” Jake just stood there listening to him. Every sensible part of rum screamed at him to run, to get inside his house and lock the doors, windows, shut the blinds and hide. But he couldn’t move. A part of him, the part that missed her the most, refused to move. “Now there are conditions. For one make sure what you wrote is what your heart truly desires… and be specific. You only get one try.” “You only get one wish?” Jake asked. “No, but you can only wish for one thing once.” The tall man said. “What happens if what you write doesn’t match your heart?” Jake asked. “Then you may not get exactly what you wish for. Remember you get one shot and be specific.” The man said and pushed the box into Jake’ hands. Jake Somers took the box, opened it, examined it and when he looked up to ask the tall man another question he was gone. Jake, with the wishing box in hand headed home already thinking about his wish, about her. 4. Jake Somers spent most of the morning staring at the little wooden box. It looked like nothing special, just a worn out wooden box with rusty hinges and a broken clasp, but if the tall man was right then this little box was special, very special indeed. Jake tried to keep his expectations down. He tried not to hope, but found he was hoping. Hoping it worked, hoping to see her again. Stop it Jake. The dn box is probably just some piece of garbage that washed up and he found it and felt like playing a joke, Jake thought. But it didn’t feel like a joke, Jake didn’t think the guy was joking at all. He felt the tall man was serious, Jake could feel that he was serious as I’d waves of it flowed off of him. Jake didn’t think it was a joke, he knew it wasn’t. Just like he knew the guy wasn’t lying when he said Jake would wake up and his wish would be granted. He couldn’t help himself, he was feeling hopeful again. Throughout the Morning Jake write on so many pieces of paper his exact wish and then crumpled it up and shit it like a basketball towards the trash can. His front room was about covered with trash basketball. Jake Smiling wrote on. 5. By afternoon, Jake had all but giving up for the day, but instead he decided to take a break. He went down to the local café which also doubled as a convenience store and gas station. He ordered a burger and a beer. When they arrived he ate and drank greedily. After his third beer he stood up, paid his bill and left a big tip. He couldn’t stop smiling. Because by this time tomorrow he would be reunited with her. He knew this because he knew what to write finally. It was simple and direct. After he got home, he ripped a page out of the notebook and scribbled his wish and folded it up. He began to dream about all the things they would. Walking along the beach, going to dinner, maybe even a cruise. She had always wanted a cruise. When it was late he checked his paper to make sure it was the right one and read his wish. I wish for my wife to be alive. He folded the note back up and placed it in the box. As he did he thought of her. He thought of getting to smell her perfume one more time, to see her smile one more time, to hear her voice and laugh one more time, to get lost in her eyes one more time. He closed the lid on the box and smiled. 6. For the first hour Jake Somers couldn’t sleep. He got out of bed, went into the bathroom and grabbed the Ambien out of the medicine cabinet. Hopefully the last time I ever have to use you, Jake thought looking at the little bottle of sleeping pills. Before she died he never needed sleeping aids. She would always say he could sleep anywhere at anytime and sleep through a tornado. But since she died he hasn’t been able to sleep on his own. At first it was vodka, then the pills, and now the pills with vodka. He poured himself roughly two fingers of vodka, popped the pills into his mouth, and emptied the glass washing the pills down. Within a half an hour he was asleep. 7. When he awoke he sat up and looked in the spot next to him, it was empty. He rubbed his eyes and got out of thinking what a fool he was to believe in some magical wishing box. He got dressed and headed downstairs. At first he thought it was his imagination, he swore he could smell her perfume. He darted into the kitchen and his eyes widened as he saw her sitting there at the small breakfast table. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders. She was as beautiful as he remembered. His eyes began to fill with tears. She got and went to him. They embraced as he began to cry, as they both began to cry. She pulled her head beans and cupped his face and kissed him repeatedly. Then she smiled and he heard her laugh again. It was clear and soft. It made his heart stop. He then looked into her deep blue eyes and got lost in them. Time seemed to stand still and they gazed at each other. He was brought back when she started to frown. Her golden skin began to ash as she doubled over and began to dry heave. She began to heave up a mixture of blood and black ichor. She looked at him afraid as blood poured from her mouth. “No, Jesus no.” he screamed and went to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her she lay against and he watched the life leave her eyes again. He held her lifeless body against him and cried. 8. He sat there holding her lifeless body as tears streamed down his face. So lost in his grief he never heard the door open and close. He never heard the footsteps on the hard wood floor as they echoed down the hallway. He never noticed the tall pale man as he stood before him. But he wasn’t surprised when he did finally noticed him . “She’s gone.” He said looking up at the familiar man. “I know Mr. Somers. I am so sorry for your loss.” The tall man said. “Tell me how to undo this. Please I beg you, tell me how to get her back again.” Jake said pleading. “ I warned you Mr. Somers you can only wish for something once. To make sure the wish and your Hearst were on the same page and did you do that?” The tall man asked. “Yes I did. I wanted her alive. I wished for her to live.” Jake said confused. “And she was Mr. Somers, ever so briefly.” The tall man said, “but what was in your heart when you closed the lid?” Jake stood there looking at him. Trying to think, to remember. He remembered closing the lid and thinking about seeing. Here, smelling her perfume, hearing her laugh, and looking into her eyes one more time. Then it dawned on him one more… “Time. Yes Mr. Somers you wished for one more time and you received it.” The tall man said. “I didn’t know, I need another chance.” Jake said begging, “please, please give me another chance. I will do it right this time!” Jake falling to his knees. “ I told you Mr. Somers. I warned.” The tallan said as he entered the house and picked up the wish box. “what your heart desires now, you will have no need of this. Good day Mr. Somers. A piece of advice. In the end, be strong.” With that the tall man left. 9. The wind blew through his hair. It was even more gray now, more salt than pepper. Jake Somers stood looking out onto the ocean and began to walk into the cold, crisp water. He stayed strong as the sea took him home. The End